I was so thrilled to participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap once again, raising money for an amazing organization, Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. It is such a great experience being a part of this worldwide cookie swap meeting new bloggers and tasting some delicious cookies too. I love making cookies during the holidays, and I love being able to participate within my blogging community and share something personal, like a new cookie recipe. This is such a great thing to be a part of during the holiday season, and if you’re interested in learning more about participating for next year go here. Now for my ultimate holiday cookie…Since I was going away the week right before our cookie swap deadline, I needed to make my cookies for Thanksgiving. Like these pecan style candied walnut cookies, I wanted to create a cookie that tasted like the holidays, flavors we see everywhere but can’t get enough of during this time of year. With a bag of cranberries just sitting there, I couldn’t decide if I was to make the cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving lunch or if something else was to be made. But then it clicked after looking through recipes and seeing one version of cranberry sauce made with ginger liquor, why not make the ultimate cranberry cookie!Not a cookie with just simply dried cranberries thrown in, but a beloved chocolate chip cookie dough base blended with a homemade cranberry sauce infused with whiskey, of course, and some extra dried cranberries thrown in for good measure. The cranberry sauce is not bitterly tart or overly sweet, it tastes just like cranberry sauce should taste like. The perfect compliment to a slice of turkey, if you eat that, but since I don’t, into cookie dough they go. The only downfall I could think of was why I hadn’t done this sooner. Sweet tangy cranberry sauce, comforting brown sugar, rich and perfectly bitter chocolate, what more could you want in a holiday cookie. Slightly crisp edges burst into a chewy center loaded with soft cranberries and crunchy chocolate chips. Seriously, why isn’t cranberry sauce used in cookies more often, it adds a depth of flavor to a basic dough like no other! Have non-chocolate loving people amongst your cookie eaters, replace the chips with more dried cranberries or even swap them out for your favorite nut. I put extra care into these cookies, knowing some great bloggers were going to receive them. They made their way to Kosher Kitchen in New Jersey, Shikha la Mode in California and Take a Bite Out of Boca in Florida. I loved exploring their amazing blogs and some of their yummy recipes, and in return received some lovely words from them. Thank you, glad you enjoyed my cookies!
And the cookies I received this year were nothing short of delicious. From top left: Salted Caramel Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies from Kinsey Cooks, Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Hazelnut Macaroons from My Upbeet Life, and Molasses Spice Cookies from Three Sixty Five Degrees.
With so many amazing cookies, who knows what’s in store for next year but I already can’t wait!
Double Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients {Makes about 4 dozen – 2″ cookies}
8 1/2 ounces – All Purpose Flour {This recipe works just as well with only All Purpose flour}
8 1/2 ounces – Bread flour
1 1/2 teaspoons – Baking Powder
1 1/4 teaspoons – Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoons – Salt
1 1/4 cups {2 1/2 sticks} – Unsalted butter {room temperature}
10 ounces – Brown sugar {packed}
8 ounces – Granulated Sugar
2 large – Eggs {room temperature}
2 teaspoons – Pure Vanilla Extract
1 cup – Cranberries
1 cup – Cranberry Sauce {recipe attached}
1/2 cup – Bittersweet Chocolate {chips or coarsely chopped}
Recipe
Sift the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together into a medium bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy {about 3 to 5 minutes}. Add in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Then add in the vanilla and mix together. Stir in the dry ingredients, until just incorporated, and fold in your cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, and chocolate until just combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours {or freeze at least 2 hours}.
When ready to bake, bring the dough to room temperature. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F, and line four baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a tablespoon cookie scoop or spoon, scoop dough onto baking sheets an inch apart. Do not press the dough down. Bake until lightly golden, rotating halfway {about 14 minutes}.
Allow cookies to cool slightly on your baking sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or at room temperature, and store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.
Clementine Cranberry Ginger Sauce with Whiskey
Ingredients
Juice of 4 Clementines
12 ounces – Fresh Cranberries
½ cup – Whiskey {Scotch of Bourbon of choice}
3/4 cups – Brown Sugar
Finely grated orange zest {from half a medium orange}
1 teaspoon – Fresh Ginger {finely grated}
1 teaspoon – Ground Ginger
1 Cinnamon Stick {split in half}
Recipe
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, combine the clementine juice, whiskey and brown sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the cranberries, orange zest, grated ginger, ground ginger and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Remove the cinnamon sticks, and blend in a food processor until smooth.